hello to all, here goes my 2 cents on the value of the masi gc with 50th anniversary gruppo.
i am surprised at how high the selling price was, but i am also surprised at how low charles andrews appraises it at. masi is a known commodity in the vintage bike community, sought after and generally difficult to find. this example was a no-stories genuine california masi in an attractive color, a popular size, and in mint condition. i wouldn't be surprised to see that frameset alone sell for $1,000 (btw, how much did it retail for in its day?). as far as the gruppo, although many members put it down as gaudy, i think many more people, like me, find it to be fancy yet elegant, and very desirable. either way, i think it is without dispute also an established commodity amongst vintage aficionados. a mounted but not used gruppo, in mint condition, i think would generally trade in the $1,000 plus range. together with the other bits that make up this complete bike, i think it would easily have sold in the $2,000 to $2,500 range.
ultimately the beauty/value of the object is in the eye of the beholder/bidder, but personally this beholder/non-bidder, believes that $1500 to $1600 is below the fair market value of this particular masi. i will be glad to receive off-list opinions on this, tabulate the results and post them, so feel free to flame me or attaboy me, offlist.
ray dobbins, miami, florida
snip:
> Bob wrote:
>
> "Now for something closer to on-topic... does anyone
> have any comments about the $4,000+ price paid
> for a San Marcos Masi GC this weekend? "
>
> *******
>
> That sale makes no sense to me at all. That bike, even with
> a 50th group, is worth 1500 or 1600 bucks, tops. Just my
> opinion, sure, but I am quite certain the current owner--if
> he paid the full price listed in the concluded auction--is
> in for a big surprise if he ever tries to resell it for what
> he has in it.
>
> I mean, c'mon!! Is it worth more than the Caminargent sold
> recently on ebay? Is it worth more than a clean Masi
> Special with all the original early 60s parts? Is it worth
> more than a 1930s Gloria in clean, original condition? I
> don't think so.
>
> I wonder if there's more to that auction than meets the
> eye...but maybe not. As ebay continues to grow, we'll
> probably continue seeing weird stuff like this.
>
> Charles Andrews
> SoCal